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Daytona 500: David Ragan preview

Ragan on racing at Daytona International Speedway: "I'm ready to get this season started. We made some good changes to our cars over the off-season and I'm looking forward to a good year. Five-hundred miles at Daytona makes for a long hard race, ...

Ragan on racing at Daytona International Speedway:

"I'm ready to get this season started. We made some good changes to our cars over the off-season and I'm looking forward to a good year. Five-hundred miles at Daytona makes for a long hard race, both mentally and physically. You are constantly around other cars in the draft racing three and four wide around a track that is narrow in certain corners. The track has an abrasive surface, so tires wear off fast and you need a good balance to your racecar. Our game plan is to stay up front, take care of our car, and be in place to contend for a win at the end."

Crew chief Donnie Wingo on racing at Daytona International Speedway:

"We are all ready to get the season started. It's important to start off the season with a good run, and that's what we'll be looking to do. With the race starting earlier the track could be a little slicker which will put handling at a premium, but that would be about the biggest change from not running the race at night. One of David's biggest strong points over the last few years has been speedway racing; he knows what to do and gets it done. Hopefully all goes well and we'll be there at the end."

FAST FACTS

* David Ragan earned a fifth-place finish in his first ever Daytona 500 in 2007.

* Ragan has an average finishing position of 13.8 at Daytona, which is his second best average finish behind California at 13.2.

* Ragan had three top-five finishes out of four restrictor plate races in 2008.

* UPS Maximum Center Recognition--Daytona International Speedway The Orlando East Center (SLIC - 3282) in the Central Florida District was selected for the February 14 Daytona 500 as part of the UPS Center Recognition Program. The Orlando East Center is recognized for maintaining the number one spot on the Balanced Scorecard in the district for 2009 for a multi-center building. The center consistently demonstrated strong results in every area of package operations including production, safety, service, and growth.

*Chassis: Primary: RK-649 Last ran Talladega -- finished 17th; Backup: RK-676 Brand new chassis

-source: rfr

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